Update: Spring into Summer! Down 14 Pounds!

So some of you may be wondering how things turned out with the 90-Day Challenge I blogged about in February. You may remember that we discussed that Springtime was the best time to embark on a weight-loss program:

• The days are becoming longer and warmer,
• We want to wear less clothing than we did in the winter,
• We find that we are less attached to some of our comfort foods, and
• Brighter mornings allow us to do a workout before we jump in the shower!

One of the most important components of any successful weight-loss program is support. With that in mind, a friend of mine joined Weight Watchers and invited me to attend a meeting with her. Initially, I thought that I didn't need or like that kind of crowd support, so I turned down her invitation. During the next few weeks, however, she began to lose weight, while I noticed that I didn't have much motivation to keep my eating on track, when faced with yummy goodies on the job (or courtesy of my husband).

Finally, I joined her at her Saturday a.m. meeting. The members were positive, the leader was enthusiastic. Although I already knew a lot about Body Transformation, some of the tricks and techniques I heard were new to me. I liked the friendly atmosphere and the sharing of ideas. I bought a Weight Watchers kit for $29 (on sale) and, in the first few days, was reading, writing, measuring, and comparing! By the next meeting, I was already down 1.2 pounds, so I joined on the spot.

I knew that I had to become more aware of my food triggers, so I became fastidious about keeping records. Weight Watchers uses a points-value system; whenever you want to eat a food, you run the numbers through a short formula, to determine the points. When you exercise, you add points to your day/week allowance. You have a daily target, as to the number of points you consume.

The nifty Weight Watchers app has become an indispensable tool for me, as I use it every time I go shopping. It has a built-in calculator and this comes in very handy. For example, let's say you're hungry and find yourself in a Starbucks, as I often do, eyeing the Double Fudge Brownies. A quick glance at your WW calculator will tell you that eating that brownie would use up 11 of your daily 29 points. Not worth it, right? But what if 1/4 of the brownie will do to satisfy your sweet tooth until you get home for dinner?

What did I do? I asked for a knife and cut the brownie into four pieces. I lovingly and proudly popped the brownie bite into my mouth, savoured all of its goodness, and took the other three bites home...to be freezer bound.

And has my discipline paid off? Here is a progress report:

Feb 16: attended first meeting

Feb 28: down 4.5 lbs.

Mch 31: no change

Apr 30: down 1.5 lbs.

May 31: down 2 lbs.

Jun 30: down 6 lbs. 

Total: I'm down 14 pounds so far, and still counting! My goal weight is 1.5 pounds away, which I will most likely accomplish in the next one to two weeks!

During those first few weeks, grocery shopping gave me quite a lot of anxiety. My husband eats the SAD (Standard American Diet) way...really bad! He'd text me, asking me to bring home a Ben &  Jerry's (he doesn't see much beyond his nose) or a Hagen Daas for him! Getting to the ice cream freezer  would require me to wander through the bakery. The appearance of the treats, the delicious aromas, and the memories of croissants, cheese buns, and bagels...it was hard to bear.

What did I do, to help me resist temptation? A la Regis, I phoned a friend...well not quite, I texted a friend, my dear WW buddy! 'I'm going crazy in the bakery aisle', I'd text. 'Stay strong', she'd reply, 'nothing tastes as good as skinny feels' she'd add!

Every day now, we text each other. What we're eating, what we're drinking, how we're feeling. At least once a week, we go for a long walk in the park at 6:00am. We don't talk about the program much, but we get to share about the rest of our daily lives.

After all, losing weight is just one component of a healthy, balanced life!

Get Ready for 90 Days of Body Transformation!

In my last blog post, I mentioned that April is the best time of year to start your Body Transformation program. Do you remember why? Because daylight comes early and motivates us to get out of bed! More daylight hours = more time to do the things we want to do, and fitness is right at the top of most people's list!

And with more daylight comes an interest in eating lighter. During the winter we've been trying to keep warm but, as daylight temperatures increase, we're encouraged to eat foods at cooler temperatures. Lighter food = lower calories. Think salads, fresh-pressed fruit and vegetable juices, raw veggie crudités, fruit salads, and lean meats, grilled on the BBQ.

Enter the Detox Diet, a wonderful way to begin your 90-Day program. As Roni DeLuz, author of 21 Pounds in 21 Days, and founder of Martha's Vineyard Holistic Retreat, says in her book, "Over time, toxic elements accumulate in our cells, gunk up our organs, erode our quality of life, and cause many of the low-grade discomforts that are all too familiar to many of us -- allergies, fatigue, heartburn, headaches, and a loss of energy. Toxins make us more susceptible to serious chronic diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes. In fact, these poisons foul up the delicate inner workings of many people's bodies so much that they gain unwanted weight and it becomes nearly impossible for them to slim down. Many overweight people know from experience that weight loss is often about a lot more than eating the right foods and counting calories."

So Step 1 of our Body Transformation program is a detox; maybe not 21 days, but 7 days for sure. A chance to give our digestion system a much-deserved rest, and an opportunity to flood our system with health-enhancing nutrients that scrub our arteries and our cells clean!

You can check in at your local Health Food Store, for a selection of Detox plans. Or you can join me and use the Elance Detox & Cleanse System from Body Wise.

http://keepushealthy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Detox.jpg

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Why Spring is the Best Time to Get Fit!

I know that, by now, many of you will be questioning your New Year's resolutions to get fit. While Vancouver has seen some beautiful, sunny days this January, it's been cold. And dark, for much of the day. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to motivate yourself to exercise, when it's dark when you go to work, and dark when you get home from work? You're not alone. Does this sound like you?

"When hibernating animals prepare for winter, their metabolism slows down, their sex drive wanes and they sleep in dens, surviving till spring on fat reserves."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-94678/Tired-hungry-sad-Relax-youre-hibernating.html#ixzz2HxtN7UaI 
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It's unfortunate that we make our resolutions about health and fitness during the time of year that's least likely to see us succeed. I recommend that you adjust your resolution, as follows, to incorporate the reality of your changing motivational levels, as the seasons unfold:

2013 Health & Fitness Resolution

Winter: Jan Feb Mch: I will do the research and prepare my health and fitness plan.

Spring: Apr May Jun: I will implement my plan, and complete a focused 90-day program.

Summer: July Aug Sep: I will adjust my plan for maintenance, and enjoy the fruits of my labour.

Fall: Oct Nov Dec: I will be gentle on myself, and allow my body to adjust to the coming season.

Some people will say that I'm a cheater; that I give myself too many outs; that this isn't how you do a successful body transformation. I say that I'm a realist; I look at people's results and seek ways to work around their natural tendencies, to achieve the outcomes that they're working towards. 

Whenever you set a goal, you are going from somewhere you aren't, to somewhere you want to be. There are many reasons why you aren't there and, if you were, you'd be striving to get somewhere else! We are solution-oriented beings, and are always seeking something. But often, we're fighting our natural tendencies to get there. So I say, let's tell the truth and that way, we are more prepared for the  battles that lie ahead for us.

And this is the reality of trying to accomplish your heath and fitness goals in the winter. As I write this blog post, it's 8am. It is still quite dark outside, too dark for most people to be headed outside for a run. In fact, you're probably heading out the door to your job. Sure, you set your alarm and you dragged yourself into the shower with your eyes half shut. We've all gotta pay the rent. But the motivation to get up earlier, and fit in a workout, most likely just wasn't there.

Daylight motivates us; even when it's not sunny, it's a lot easier to get up and out, when the darkness has faded and the new day beckons. So quit beating yourself up because you're failing your fitness resolution. Instead, take this time to read, to research, to plan...you have a few weeks of darkness to survive yet, so make the most of it.

By April 1st, it's going to look a lot different around here at 8:00am. You'll be finished your workout by this hour, and finished your shower; you'll be heading off to work with that satisfied grin...the one that says, "I can conquer anything that the universe tosses at me today!"

Meanwhile, stick with me, kid. I'm creating a 90-day workout and nutrition regime, planned for April, May & June. Work with me, and you'll be fully prepared to show your best body this summer. For $49 a month, you'll get your fitness plan, your nutrition plan, recipes, e-mail and tele-coaching, a support network, and my personal guidance. And I'll be implementing the plan, right along with you! Watch for free weekly updates and homework, as we move towards the end of March!